Antofagasta

(The one who hides the copper)

Antofagasta is the mayor harbor of the north and is the capital of the second Region.  It is the fifth city of the country in population ( 285.255 inhabitants) and the principal of the desert.

Placed through a long and thin strip of the littoral platform, limited by the sea and the mountain range of the cost (Cordillera de la Costa), displays long beaches always with calmed waters and nice temperatures, very appropriate for nautical sports, underwater fishing, sporting hunt and recreation activities. Stay in  one of the Antofagasta hotels and enjoy the many attractions of the city.

The Antofagasta weather is desert under marine influences, which makes it very pleasant all year long, in winter the temperatures goes from the 8ºC to 20ºC, in summer season: 15ºC to 25ºC. 70% of the year the city has cleared skies which makes it a perfect location for holidays after summer season.

Within the city visit the Historic Downtown of Antofagasta, a group of building of the past century who are pretty close to the civic center of Antofagasta.

Ex Customs office, the most representative building of the architecture age of saltpeter. Its two floors has exteriors, shading corridors and the access hall is in open air, like the stairs. The Ex Customs building was moved by ship to the Mejillones harbor, (Bolivian in that moment) assembled over foundation already done. It’s worked as Chilean interest miner of administration’s office on this area. In 1888 was unassembled and taken to the actual place- Antofagasta- 22 years latter to be built it, where worked as a Custom. Is the oldest building of the city and lodges the Regional Museum of Antofagasta.

The Museum has a complete collection on natural history and culture of the Region. Counts with rooms of geology, ecology, archeology, paleontology and regional history, with subjects like Spanish Conquer, discoverers of the desert, the Pacific War, the Saltpeter period and the come up of the urban life. The Museum opens from Thursday to Friday to 10 to 18 hrs. Saturday, Sundays and holidays, from 11 to 14 hrs. The cost of the entrance is a little more than 1 dollar ($600) Childrem and elderly people and ISIC $300. Sundays and holidays is free.

The watch tower in Plaza Colon, Antofagasta.

Plaza Colon ornamented with old trees and monuments donated by foreign colonies residents, in commemoration of the first centenary of our Independence. Look for the Watch Tower. Declared national monument, was given by the English colony the watch sphere is replica of the Big Ben of London.

Cathedral Church of San Jose. Built between 1906 and 1917 in a gothic style, with beautiful vitraux inside. They celebrate mass from Monday to Saturday 12 pm, and 20 hrs. Holydays and Sundays 8:30 am, 11, am, 12:30pm and 20 hr.

Market inaugurated in 1927 inside you’ll get tropical fruit like mangos and guayabas. Next there is a good Handcraft fair, with knitting from the altiplano.

Plaza del Mercado (Market Square), highs palm trees and a monument of the German Colony, share the space with Handmade Fair, in the civic downtown is the financial and commercial activity center of the city.

Casa Abaroa (Abaroa House) is a typical construction of the golden age of saltpeter, which is now under restoration to become a cultural center with temporally expositions. The time to visit is Monday to Friday from 10am to 13 pm hrs, and 16 pm to 19 hrs; Saturdays from 10 am to 14 pm hrs.

Professor Humberto Fuenzalida Villegas Geologic Museum: General Geology, Paleontology and Mineralogy topics are in exhibition in three mains rooms, the last two has an exclusive exhibition of rocks, minerals and fossils from the Big and Small North of Chile.

Railroad buildings, today  working with modern machinery. Those facilities form an interesting group of industrial architecture , in the original construction you can see the frames of the door and windows made it in wood and walls finished with Guayaquil cover canes, stuccoed with quick lime.

Caleta y Bahia Coloso (cove and colossus bay) there is a handmade fishing cove, where you can eat shellfish and fish for ship prices. The Escondida, important cooper mine of Antofagasta, has its installations. You can appreciate the loading and filter of the mineral.

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